Magic Doesn't Answer Everything
by Melody Malone
Summary: After breaking her curfew, Alex comes back regressed to a preschooler, and the only answer anyone can come up with is a magic spell. But what if this time things aren't that simple?


**AN: First attempt (and probably last) at a Wizards fic. Sorry for the high rating, but it'll be needed near the end of the story, so I didn't want to leave it low for now to have to put it up high later on. This should only be two or three parts long, I was going for a oneshot, but I got a little bored lol.**

"Where is she! She was supposed to be home by now!" Said Theresa Russo, rubbing her temple from stress. It all started when Alex didn't come home at 10pm, like she had promised her parents.  
"Mom, don't worry about it, this is Alex we're talking about! She probably got distracted by an all night sale or something, she'll be fine." Sighed Justin, lying on the couch with a math book, in preparation for a test the next day.  
"That's not true! As...easy as her mind drifts sometimes, she's never missed her curfew without letting us know about it!" Said Theresa, walking back and forth through the house. Jerry was sitting down in the Sub Shop waiting for her to come home, and Max had already gone to bed. "My poor baby! What if something terrible has happened to her! She won't answer her cell, I don't know where she could be! I called Harper's parents and they didn't answer, and Harper isn't answering her cell phone either! It's midnight, she knows she shouldn't be out now!"  
"Mom, seriously, calm down." said Justin, putting his book down, and going over to hug his mom. "Alex'll come back, nothing will have happened to her. You wait, by this time tomorrow you'll be telling me how mad you are about her breaking her curfew. It's no big deal. She'll be home." Theresa sighed.  
"You're probably right. In fact, you are right. Your dad'll come up these stairs any minute with her, telling her how she's grounded for the rest of her natural life."Justin smiled.  
"That's the spirit."

However, even Justin was worrying when by two in the morning, she still wasn't home.  
"There's no sign of her. I just drove around, I can't see anyone out." Sighed Jerry, taking his coat off. Theresa sighed.  
"We should call the police."  
"Mom, they won't do anything until she's been missing for 24 hours, you know that. They'll just tell you to call tomorrow." said Justin, gently.  
"I'm not having my baby missing for 24 hours!" Sobbed Theresa, and Jerry hugged her.  
"Don't worry, she'll be back before then. I just sent a bulletin that'll be put in the Wizard Daily, to see if she's anywhere she shouldn't be. This is Alex we're talking about, after all." Said Jerry. "But for now, I think we all need to calm down and try and get a few hours sleep."  
"Justin, you get to bed as well. I'm sorry we kept you up, honey." said Theresa, softly, kissing his cheek.  
"It's alright..." Muttered Justin. "Dumb Alex's fault...if I fail my math test tomorrow, it's completely her fault." He laughed, but inside he was feeling awful. He knew Alex wasn't one to stick to the rules, but she had never been out as late as this. "You know dad, I can use the magic carpet, take a sweep and look for her--"  
"No, I'm not having two of my kids wondering New York city alone, not gonna happen." said Jerry, sternly.  
"Alex is wondering New York alone!?" Theresa gasped, as the thought hit her, and she started crying. Jerry sighed. "Justin, bed. We'll find Alex in the morning, try not to worry about it now." Justin sighed, and nodded, heading to bed. As he lay there, all he could think about was Alex lying in a ditch somewhere, scared, and not knowing where she was. She had told them she was going out to a party with Harper, and that she would definitely be home around ten. They had tried to call Harper, but her cell phone was switched off as well, and her parents hadn't called them to say she was missing as well. Justin shook his head. It was ridiculous for him to think that anything had happened to Alex. She was street smart, and everyone knew it. She wouldn't be dumb enough to get herself into a situation she couldn't get out of, even if it meant using magic and getting grounded for it. Justin nodded to himself that she would be fine and closed his eyes. The next thing he knew his alarm was going off, and he hadn't got a wink of sleep all night.

Rubbing his eyes, Justin got out of bed, and headed to the bathroom. He had set his alarm an hour earlier than usual so he could do some last minute cramming for his math test that morning, even though he knew most of it off by heart as it was. Creeping around the house, he took a shower and got dressed as quietly as he could, going into the kitchen to grab his books, and put some toast on for himself. Just as he looked across to the sofa, he saw a bump under the throw that was normally draped over the back of the couch. Cautiously, Justin went over to the lump, and poked it. The lump wriggled, and Justin figured that someone was indeed, asleep under it.  
"Alex, is that you?" He asked, poking the blanket again. Pulling off the blanket, he indeed found his sister, lying in the fetal position on the couch, fast asleep. She had a slight smile on her face as she slept, and didn't look harmed or scared like Justin had imagined at all. This made him angry. Him and his parents had been up for hours, worrying about where she was or if she was okay, and she thought it was okay to roll in at any time she pleased, and just fall asleep on the sofa. In his anger, he shook her. "Alex, get up! Where the hell were you! Answer me!" Alex let out a tired whine, and her eyes opened, blinking a few times in confusion about where she was. She stretched for a second, before curling her legs up underneath her body. Justin looked confused when he saw her put her thumb in her mouth and start sucking it, looking around.  
"Mm?" She muttered.  
"Where were you!" Asked Alex again.  
"Here? Silly." She said, through the thumb in her mouth. A playful smile came to her lips, and it confused him.  
"No, last night! When you weren't home at four in the morning!" He continued. "Do you have any idea how worried mom and dad were? They thought you might be lying in a ditch somewhere! You can't just stroll in here at any time you feel like it, think of how they might be feeling! Even I was worried about you!" Alex didn't answer again, and continued sucking her thumb.  
"Want mommy and daddy." She said, simply. Justin blinked at her confused. She wasn't arguing back, she wasn't even answering the questions. It was as if her mind couldn't compute what he was saying to her.  
"...Alex are you alright?" He asked, cautiously. Alex nodded, and smiled.  
"I want mommy and daddy." She repeated, still smiling. By now, Justin was very creeped out.  
"Um...okay I'll um...I'll get them." He said, carefully. Taking a step backwards, he ran into his parents room.

"Mom, dad, wake up!" He shouted, switching on the light and starting to shake them in a panic.  
"Justin, do you have any idea what time in the morning it is!" Snapped Jerry, sitting up, and turning on his bedside light. Theresa shielded her eyes from the light, trying to get back to sleep.  
"It's Alex!"said Justin, breathlessly.  
"What about Alex?? Is she alright?" Said Theresa, quickly sitting up, suddenly awake and alert. Justin nodded.  
"She's fine, she's here, but--"  
"Oh she'll wish she wasn't when I'm finished with her." Growled Jerry, grabbing a pyjama shirt, and storming into the living room. Theresa and Justin ran after him, Justin getting ignored every time he tried to explain what was going on to either of them. Alex was still where Justin had left her, her legs pulled up close to her, and her thumb in her mouth. "Alex, come here right now! Do you have any idea how much trouble you're in young lady!"Alex looked up at him and her eyes lit up, as she got up.  
"Daddy!" Smiled Alex, walking slowly over to him, hugging him when she got to him.  
"Don't you daddy me, Alexandria Margarita Russo!" He snapped. "Where were you last night!"  
"Love you daddy." She said, giving him a kiss on the cheek, and hugging him again.  
"Dad, listen she--" Began Justin, but Jerry didn't listen.  
"No, that won't work! We thought something had happened to you! Do you have any idea how worried sick me and your mother have been! Do you even care?!" Justin saw Alex's bottom lip drop, and tears came to her eyes.  
"Don't shout at me!" She cried, letting out a loud sob and sitting back down on the sofa. "Daddy you're mean to me!" Jerry looked back at Theresa and Justin, confused.  
"Does someone want to tell me what's going on?" He asked, his eyebrow raised.  
"That's what I'm trying to tell you, dad." said Justin, calmly. "Alex...isn't acting like herself at all. She's acting like..."  
"Like a baby. Don't you remember she used to do this when she was told off, Jer? She'd just start crying and telling us we were mean until we gave in and bought her a lollipop." Said Theresa, looking over at Alex, who's sobs were a lot quieter now that she was sucking her thumb again. "Okay, what's going on here!"  
"I...I don't know!" said Jerry, confused. "The only thing that I can explain this with is a spell, but I haven't--" He trailed off.  
"Haven't what? There's a _spell_ that can do this?! Why haven't I ever seen it! I know all the spells in the spell book." Asked Justin, confused. Jerry nodded.  
"I wasn't ever going to teach it to you kids, because it's not one that needs to ever be used. I took it out the book so that no-one would use it by accident. Infantus Totallus. It makes whoever you cast the spell on act like a preschooler."  
"Is there any way that it can be reversed?" Asked Justin, looking over at his sister who was now sitting on the floor with a pencil in her hand, drawing flowers and stick men on a piece of paper in front of her. "I mean I love Alex being my little sister, but not...this little."  
"I'm not sure. It'll be in one of my books somewhere, but I've gotta find it first. And fast." Explained Jerry. "I'm pretty sure it has to be reversed pretty soon to avoid any long lasting effects."  
"Great, so Alex has gone into the lair and messed up again. Great." said Justin, rolling his eyes. "You know she probably did this so she didn't have to tell you where she was last night! Figured no-one would blame a baby for breaking her curfew. This smells of Alex all over..."  
"Speaking of smells, if there's any dirty diapers coming out of this, this non-wizard is NOT cleaning up after her. Right now I would prefer my fourteen year old not to be a four year old!" snapped Theresa, grabbing her head. "Oy, I have a headache already. This is going to be a long day."


End file.
